Grand Opening ~

Today is the official grand opening of my Etsy.com shop. I have started the

Created From the Heart Etsy Shop.

There is a link on the right side of my blog. Okay, so there is just one necklace right now, but I have more things that just need photos and it will be fun to watch it grow.

I {heart} Freeman Park ~

I had forgotten how much I enjoy going to Freeman Park in the evenings. Years ago we would load up the kids and the roller blades and put Kristine in a stroller and go to the park. Lots of fun memories. There is a beautiful walking/biking path that goes along the edge of the Snake River and follows Willow Creek. Kristine has outgrown the stroller and today we got her a new bike. Tonight we decided we needed to take it for a test ride at Freeman Park. (Yes, she is spoiled, but that is a story for another post. Think early Christmas, OK.) Her and Rod loaded their bikes on the bike rack and we were off. While they rode their bikes, I walked and had a peaceful walk and enjoyed the scenery and the cool breeze off the river.

Take a peek ~

Just wanted to show you a peek at what we are making at our Stamp Club meeting on Thursday.

Time for an update ~

This is kind of a hard post to write, but I figured it was time for an update. A couple of weeks ago we found a new home for our Basset Hounds. I know, I can't believe it either. We have felt for a while that it was time to move on to the next phase in life. We are gone more now and it is harder to leave them alone. I'm sure the neighbors got tired of the sad, howling hounds when we were gone. We have grand daughters now that take their place, and are the entertainment. I won't miss the dog hair, or the distinct hound smell, but I do miss having Candie lay down and take a nap with me, and having company along on a hike in the mountains. I guess I will end up taking more pictures now when we go to the mountains.

I have loved Basset Hounds since we got one when I was in 5th Grade. His name was Sundance of Gem City. We just had Sunny for a couple of years until he got jealous of my new little brother and had to find a new home. Thirty years later I got one of my own when Rod let me get a puppy for Christmas. I still can't believe it. Cassidy was such a fun addition to the family. We really enjoyed her and added Candie when her other family had to let her go. I think I have enough pictures of them to last a lifetime and will always have fond memories of my years with my Basset Hounds. And this post wouldn't be complete without a few pictures.

Crafty Stuff ~

I've been having lots of fun playing with wire jewelry and this is the latest project. Getting good, detailed pictures is as much of a trick as getting the coils to look just right. I think I'm almost ready to open up my Etsy.com shop.

A day at the mountains ~

Have you ever been to Targhee Creek? It is a beautiful hiking/biking trail between Island Park and West Yellowstone. We loaded up the Bikes, the Daughters and the Dogs and a picnie and went for a family trip on Saturday. It was so fun to get away. We especially enjoyed having Jenny with us. When kids grow up and busy with school and jobs it is harder to get time with them. She rode with Rod on their bikes and Kristine and I hiked with the dogs. We hiked for about an hour and a half, which is really good for me and the short, fat dogs. Kristine carried bug spray in one hand and a dog leash in the other. she was so much fun to hike with. I love my girls.

Jewelry Pictures ~

In the middle of getting the kitchen put back together I have been making Jewelry. It has been lots of fun. I wanted to put up a few pictures here to get some feedback before I take new pictures and put them up in my Etsy shop.

Ta Da!!

Here it is. All done except for tiling the backsplash, valance in the window and a couple of little touch up things. I love it. It has been so fun to cook again. I'll have to admit I did enjoy the break from cooking for a while.

Countertop Picture ~

Finally, a picture to show you what we have been working on. I love how they turned out. The range hood should be here this weekend and the next step will be to tile the backsplash.

Pictures from the mountains ~

The dogs loved the mountains! I think Candie, the black one, loves the ride up as much as getting out to run. She was up on my lap standing on the edge of the window with her ears flapping in the breeze. If I could get my girls to come up with me, there might be pictures of them too, but for now, the dogs are enjoying getting their picture taken.

Before Pictures ~

I just realized that I haven't shown a picture of what the kitchen looked like before we started this "little" project. Here are a couple of pictures before pictures I found from last summer.

My new favorite picture ~

Isn't this a great picture? I love having all of my kids close enough to come visit for holiday get-to-gethers. We had such a fun afternoon.

Happy July!

Yikes! has it really been 6 weeks since I've posted anything. It has truly been a busy summer. Kristine and I have had a great time hanging out and working on projects during the day. We have done Vinyl tiles for Relief Society, Handouts for a Visiting Teaching thing and we are in the middle of 150 charm keychains for Stake Girls Camp. We have really made a lot of progress on the kitchen project. The cupboards are painted and glazed, have new knobs and we've added crown moulding to the cupboards. This past weekend we replaced the old countertop base with new 3/4 inch plywood and cement board. The kitchen sink is gone and the new one is waiting in the garage. We have wood trim put on the cupboard edges and got that stained. Here are a couple of pictures. Right now we have the granite tile layed out out and cut to size. Rod should be able to take another day off this week so we can get it finished.

Look at this amazing pot rack we found. We are still waiting for a range hood and then we can figure out how we want to do the floor.

First drive to the canyon ~

Saturday, Rod and I took a drive up to Kelly Canyon to check out if the trails are ready for a bike ride. Well, there were still snow drifts on the roads, so it doesn't look like we can hit the trails for a couple more weeks. The dogs got to go with us and they loved it. Candie loves to stand with half her body out the window and her ears blowing in the wind. Not very safe for a top heavy dog, but if I hold onto her collar I will let her do it. She is fearless and not bothered by passing cars at all. It was so much fun to get out. I did get a few good pictures of tCandie and Cassidy together. Not easy to do, but Rod was there to help.

Aren't they cute!?! Well if you are a Basset Hound lover you will understand, I don't expect the rest of you to get it. Today is Candie's birthday. She is three years old. Extra dog biscuits for her!